The claim of the district's preeminence as the leading industrial center of the Province, is largely due to the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company, Limited, which, in addition to its other interests, operates rolling mills, forges, and departments for manufacturing steel products located in Trenton, outside New Glasgow town limits, which claims the honor of being "the birthplace of teel in Canada."
The Company dates its inception to the Hope Iron Works, established in New Glasgow in 1872 with a capital of $4000, and employing ten men, to make ship forgings. Later the firm manufactured car axles and railway spikes. The business prospered and in 1878 it was re-organized as the Nova Scotia Forge Company, and a new plant erected two miles from the town at a point which is now a part of Trenton. In 1882 the Company decided to manufacture their own steel, and accordingly, some of the stock holders organized the Nova Scotia Steel Co., erected works, and in 1883 produced the first steel ingots made in Canada. The same year they installed the first cogging mill in the Dominion for making steel billets. The success of the venture was such that in 1889 the two industries were amalgamated as the Nova Scotia Steel and Forge Company, with a capital stock of $392,000. To secure their own pig iron, some of the directors, with others, organized the New Glasgow Iron Coal and Railway Company, capitalized for $1,000,000. Land containing iron ore was purchased along the East river and elsewhere; a railroad was built from the mines at Sunnybrae to Ferrona Junction on the Intercolonial, and a coal washing plant, retort coke ovens, and blast furnace were erected at Ferrona, seven miles from New Glasgow.
In 1894 the Company acquired the Wabaha Iron Ore deposits at Belle Isle, Conception Bay, Newfoundland, now the greatest iron ore mines in British North America, from where ores were shipped to the blast furnace at Ferrona, then in successful operation. In 1895 another amalgamation took place, and the Nova Scotia Steel and Forge Company, and the New Glasgow Iron Steel and Railway Company took again the name of the Nova Scotia Steel Company, now capitalized for $2,060,000.
Next, to procure its own coal supply, and to make it completely self-contained, it acquired in 1900 the Sidney Mines, Cape Breton, from the General Mining Association, which had operated them since 1830, and by the purchase securing an unlimited supply of metallurgical coal. The next year another reorganization took place, and the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company as it exists today, was formed with a capital of $6,600,000 which since that date has increased to $16,000,000. Following this reorganization, new coal shafts were sunk. A modern steel plant with a blast furnace and open hearth steel, capacity of about 100,000 tons per year was erected, equipped with the necessary coke ovens, coal washers and engineering shops, and the manufacture of pig iron and steel tansferred from Ferrona and Trenton to Sydney mines, which not only furnished all the raw materials for the Trenton mills and forges, but also supplies steel to all the other steel mills and forges in Canada.
Such is a brief outline of the founding, growth and development of the Company, which has not only made Nova Scotia industrially prominent, but has also been one of the most dominant factors in the growth of the iron and steel industry of Canada. It conducts the rolling mills, forges, railway car axle shops and the departments for other finished steel products at Trenton. The plant covers some 25 acres, housed in a group of modern steel and concrete buildings. The rolling mills have cogging mills to reduce the steel ingots weighing 6,600 pounds to billets, besides plate mills, bar mills and finishing mills. The spike, rivet, bolt, nut, polished shafting, tie, and fish-plate, reeled machinery, steel and other departments, are located in two steel and concrete buildings having two and one-half acres of floor space, turning out over 700 varieties of bars, plates, and other products. It has a hydraulic forging plant, comprising a 4000 ton press, handling ingots weighing 30 tons and upwards, and one 600 ton press for smaller work, enabling the company to furnish forgings from fluid compressed steel equal to any in quality and dimensions produced anywhere.
The plant has an unequalled railway car axle manufacturing shop which produces a greater output monthly than any similar works in the British Empire. Connected also with it are large carpentry, pattern, woodworking, structural and engineering shops, with shipping and store room, the whole of which is served by a twenty-five ton traveling crane 850 feet long, with 75 feet span, making it one of the best equipped and efficient steel plants in Canada.
The Wabana Iron Mines owned by the Company, total 83 1/2 acres, the greater part of which extends under the sea, the ore seams of which are much thicker and richer than those on land. The mines contain thousands of tons of high grade ore, sufficient to supply three times its requirements for centuries to come.
The Company's collieries in Cape Breton are among the most important in Canada. Its holdings comprise seventy one square miles and are supposed to contain every seam in the district, only a small portion of which has been worked. They have five well equipped mines in operation, producing about 9,000,000 tons yearly, a great part of which together with the product of a 250 acre limestone quarry, located nine miles from the furnaces, is utilized in the immense steel plant, with blast furnace and coke ovens which it also operates at Sydney mines, producing about 100,000 tons of steel annually.
The company has some fifteen steamers in its employ. At Sydney mines it has eight miles of railway and twelve miles of siding. It has two coal discharging piers at North Sydney. It also has docks and plants at Montreal and Quebec to handle the immense quantities of coal sold by the company in Upper Canada.
The company's output of steel, iron and metal products are sold in all parts of the world. It has grown from a $4000 firm with ten men to a $16,000,000 stock company employing seven thousand people, four thousand of whom find work in Trenton. In it are merged the companies which mined the first coal and smelted the first steel in Canada. It owned the first coggin mill in Canada. It was the first in the Dominion to convert native ores into steel bars and forgings and to make steel railway axles. It was the first to mine ores under the sea, and the first company on this Continent to wash coal in a commercial way, and the first to make blast furnace coke in retort ovens. It installed the first steel compression plant and the first steam hydraulic forging plant erected in Canada. It is one of the few self-contained steel companies in the world, and by reason of the fact that it controls not only every stage in the production of its raw material, but also because it has been a pioneer in those processes which make for efficiency, it has met with great financial success, Scotia's securities yielding a larger return and selling higher in the markets than those of any similar company in Canada.
In the further extension of its many interests the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company organized in 1911 the Eastern Car Company Limited with $1,000,000 preferred, and $1,000,000 common stock, and $1,000,000 if 6 per cent. bonds.
The site on which the plant is located comprises sixty-eight acres adjoining the steel company, along the Government Railways and facing the tidal waters of Pictou harbor on the East River at Trenton. The main building is 450 feet wide and one-fourth of a mile long, and has some 15 acres of floor space. The plant is modernly equipped and has a capacity of thirty steel cars per day, being one of the most economically operated car building plants in Canada. The company began building cars in 1913, producing a large number of cars for the Canadian Government Railways. Shortly after the outbreak of the war the company received an order for 2000 cars from the Russian Government, followed since by others, to build which, in addition to the orders for the Canadian Government Railways and other railroads, it is kept intensely busy, employing at present more than 1000 men.
Another large iron industry located in New Glasgow is the Maritime Bridge Company Limited, the largest bridge company in the Maritime Provinces, incorporated in 1909. It owns a premises of some twenty five acres along the main line of the Intercolonial Railway to Sydney, Nova Scotia, on which are located the main buildings 90 x 350 feet, power plant, forge, template shop, general office building, and shipping yards with crane runways for loading and unloading the heavy materials used and fabricated at the industry.
The plant is equipped to handle every variety of structural steel and plate work, for bridges, steel buildings, roof trusses, turn tables, towers and girders; taking contract not only for the fabrication of the material, but also to lay the concrete floors and abutments, and to build and erect the structures, however small or large.
The company employs about one hundred and fifty men, not including those employed in erection work, and is capable of producing 8000 tons of steel finished material yearly, the structural sheets and steel plates being obtained largely from the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Co., with additional material from American mills, which which fabricated are used in their own extensive building operations extending throughout the Maritime Provinces, Newfoundland and Quebec.
The company, since its incorporation, has erected a large number of road bridges and other structures. At present it has the contract to erect a bridge at Lennox Passage, Cape Breton, 1200 feet long, with a central swing span of 200 feet, which, when completed, will be one of the largest bridges in Nova Scotia.
The Standard Clay Products Limited, the largest manufacturing industry of clay products in Canada, with a factory and head offices in St.Johns, Que., has had a factory near New Glasgow since 1902. The industry owns at this point some 63 acres of land, on which are located the factories kilns and office buildings and which also supplies the clay form which their products are produced. The industry comprises two plants, one with 9 and the other with 10 kilns. The former plant has an output of thirty carloads, and the second thirty-five carloads per week, or a total output of about 3300 carloads per year for 300 working days, when running to full capacity; and if measured in tons the output runs to 52,000 tons yearly.
The product consists of salt glazed vitrified sewer pipes, ranging in size from 4 to 24 inches, and connections, culvert pipes, inverts flue linings, stove linings, fire bricks range bricks, locomotive blocks, gully traps, hollow vitrified building blocks, cupola linings, and all kinds of fire clay goods in the manufacture of which some 150 people are employed. The goods produced are all made from clay found on the premises. In fact it was the high character of the raw material, which prompted the company to locate a factory here. The raw material in sight on the sixty-three acres owned by the company was recently estimated by the Canadian Appraisal Company to be over 2,000,000 tons, all located above drainage, and easily and cheaply obtainable.
The Eastern Steel Company, Limited, organized in 1913 with a capital of $1,000,000 is an amalgamation of the Brown Machine Company, contracting engineers and manufacturers of the mining machinery, and the Bailey Underwood Company, spring and steel specialty manufacturers.
The industry occupies about fifteen acres of ground, facing the East river, with the Government Railways passing through the property, thus giving it unexampled shipping facilities by rail and river. On it are located the foundry, machine, spring and structural steel shops, for the production of mining and carrying machinery, structural steel products, steel building material, oil tempered springs and farm and garden tools, -the raw material for which is largely obtained from the iron and steel companies of Nova Scotia. During the past year the company has been devoting all of its energies to the manufacture of shells and other war material for the Imperial Government, in the production of which in addition to its other work, the company employs at present some 300 persons, paying out in wages at the rate of $170,000 yearly, all of which is largely spent in the surrounding towns. In addition to their home trade, which covers the Dominion, they export their products to Great Britain, France, Australia, South Africa, etc.
The mining tool industry of J. W. Cumming & Son Limited, is the outgrowth of the business established by J. W. Cumming, 1902, when in a small way he began the manufacture of coal drills, draw bars and other coal-mining tools. At his death in 1908, his son J. T. Cumming took over the business which in 1911 was incorporated for $50,000 and became president and general manager.
As an indication of the growth of the industry it may be mentioned that it started with one furnace, a trip hammer and four workmen. Today it embraces with the foundry, machine shops, warehouses and offices, about 40,000 sq. feet of floor a space, maintaining thirteen fires, four trip and steam hammers, electric drills, lathes and other machinery, giving employment to 150 people, manufacturing coal drills, coal cars, draw bars, boring machines, coal culling machinery and coal miner's tools, which it sells to every coal mine in the Dominion, besides machining and finishing high explosive shells for the war department, and paying in salary and wages yearly more than $100,000, being the second firm to ship high explosive shells from Nova Scotia.
The Canadian Tool & Specialty Co. Limited was the first started as the Canada Rifle Site Company. In 1911 it was reorganized under its present title, and the factory was equipped with the most modern machinery, making it one of the finest plants of its kind east of Montreal.
The company are manufacturers of special machinery and tools, punching dies and metal stampings, special screw machine products, motor accessories, gasoline engines, and rifle sites, which latter they manufacture in large quantities for the Canadian Government, besides making gauges for shell manufacturers. To make the rifle sites requires 103 operations, and the company is turning out at present 600 sites per day, employing about 120 people, who receive in wages about $7,000 monthly, placing it among the most important industries of New Glasgow.
One of the most important manufacturing industries of the district is the Humphreys Glass Co. Limited located in Trenton. It is a $50,000 corporation and is the only glass plant east of Montreal, and practically the only one in Canada which is not a member of the glass manufacturing combine. It operates a modern plant, and employs about 100 people, manufacturing bottles, fruit jars and lamp chimneys, which it sells from Montreal to Halifax and the Sydneys, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
The McNeil Machine & Motor Company Limited, owned by Mr. Walter McNeil, is one of New Glasgow's newest industries. It was incorporated in January, 1915, after taking over the plant of the Fraser Machine & Motor Co., the equipment of which already first class, was greatly enlarged by the addition of $35,000 worth of new machinery.
The factory 70 x 300 feet is at present devoted exclusively to the manufacture of shrapnel shells for the war department, and employs 100 people manufacturing from 400 to 500 shells per day, and paying out in wages more than $7,000 monthly. Following the close of the shell-making period, the company expect to build motors and general machinery, for which the equipment is especially well fitted.
The Albion Machine Company of Stellarton, employing some 250 people, of which Mr.Walter McNeil of the McNeil Machine & Motor Company Ltd., is owner and manager, recently took over the skating rink building 90 x 250 feet in size. The building has been remodeled, a concrete floor laid down, and new shell making machinery installed for the production of 4 pt. 5 war shells of which it produces from 500 to 600 per day, paying out in wages about $17,000 every fortnight, thus making it one of the largest producers of these shells in the Maritime Provinces.
Lynchs' Limited, with headquarters in Sydney and a factory in Halifax, also has a branch in Stellarton. Like their other bakeries, it is equipped with modern machinery which takes the flour from the barrel and passes it on through all the various operations, with the hand scarcely touching the material until baked into bread, thus making the product perfectly sanitary.
The company makes the famous Colonial cakes, put up in packages in ten varieties and flavors and sold at popular prices. They also make a specialty of package doughnuts and variety pastry, all of which like the bread is wrapped in wax paper and sealed.
The product is delivered daily by wagon in the towns of Stellarton, New Glasgow, Trenton, Westville, Eureka, Thorburn, and Hopewell, and shipped by train every morning to some fifteen towns in Northern Nova Scotia as well as to Prince Edward Island. The Sydney factory supplies the eastern part of the Province and the Halifax factory the southern and western section of Nova Scotia, and the three factories producing some 20,000 loaves of bread daily in addition to pastry, employing 80 persons with a wage roll of $40,000 yearly, making it the largest bread baking company east of Montreal.
The Campbell's West Side Bakery, of which Mr. S. F. Campbell is the proprietor, was established in New Glasgow in 1908. The plant is modernly equipped and sanitary, and has one of the most up to date ovens in Canada, with a capacity of more than 6000 loaves of bread per day, the full energy of which is practically utilized for the production of his well known "Bread of Merit" and a large output of pies, cakes, and pastry of all kinds of the finest quality.
The product is not only delivered every day in the towns of New Glasgow, Stellarton, Westville and Trenton, Hopewell, Eureka and Thorburn, but also is shipped to a large number of outlying towns in this section of the Province, where the demand for the Campbell bread products is constantly increasing.
Donald Grant & Sons, of New Glasgow, operates one of the largest woodworking industries in Pictou County, which comprises plaining mill and woodworking factory, a dry kiln, three large warehouses, and two lumber yards, the latter carrying constantly 1,000,000 sq. feet of lumber.
The firm employs in the factory about twenty men, manufacturing sash, doors, blinds, mouldings, office and church furniture, and other building supplies, which they utilize not only in their own extensive building operations, but also sell throughout the Eastern part of Nova Scotia. They are extensive contractors, erecting wood, brick and stone buildings. They have erected such buildings as the Post Office and High School in New Glasgow, besides many others in this section of the Province, and employ in this work from fifty to sixty people, whose earnings represent a large wage roll and which in addition to the more than $ 12,00 paid out in the factory, makes the firm an important factor in the industrial life of the district.
Another woodworking industry is that of D. Porter & Son of Stellarton, who conduct a modernly equipped sawmill and factory, with a lumber yard carrying some 500,00 feet of lumber of all description. The firm employs ten to fifteen people, manufacturing doors siding, sheathing, door-frames, window frames, sashes, blinds and other wood material used in building construction. They also are extensive lumber operators. Mr. David Porter during the past twenty-five years has furnished millions of feet of lumber for the Intercolonial Coal Mine. The firm operate movable saw mills during the winter months, cutting spruce, pine and cypress, as well as hardwood, a part of which is worked up into building material in their own factory and balance prepared for export, chiefly to the British Isles.
Cameron & Fraser Co. Ltd., conduct a modernly equipped woodworking factory, manufacturing flooring, sashes, sheathing, wainscotting, window and door frames, and wood supplies of all kinds, as well as caskets, employing some thirteen people and paying out in wages nearly $7,000 yearly.
The Colonial Granite Company Limited, situated along the Intercolonial Railway, operates a modernly equipped plant for cutting, carving, polishing, and lettering granite and marble tombstones and headstones. The company is prepared to do all kinds of figure work and carving of the finest quality. it owns large quarries near Old Bay, Newfoundland, the product of which they use not only in their own business, but also sell to other manufacturers, doing a business extending from Newfoundland to Montreal and to Prince Edward Island.
The Francis Drake Aerated Water plant is equipped with modern machnery for the production of syrups and carbonated beverages of all kinds. All water used is distilled in a special plant and all parts of the factory are clean and sanitary, so as to assure a beverage pure and wholesome.
The output embracing carbonated water, syrups, lime juice and cider, in the production of which some fifteen people are employed, together with cigars, cigarettes and tobacco, are sold locally, and in the Maritime Provinces and Magdalen Islands.
The only factory in Canada for the manufacture of Burlap Rug patterns for home made rugs is owned by John E. Garret of New Glasgow , the output of which is sold throughout the Dominion and Newfoundland. Mr. Garrett also conducts the New Glasgow Printery and is also a large producer of artistic signs and banners.
The Pictou County Dairy Co. Ltd., located in Stellarton and incorporated on August 22nd, 1913, is a co-operative institution, the stock of which is largely owned by the farmers who sell the cream to the company. The company charges three and one half cents per pound for making the butter, which the company sells, dividing the profits on the basis of the amount of butter fat contained in the cream furnished by each individual farmer, to whom was paid more than $30,000 the past year.
I. Matheson & Co. Limited, machine and boiler manufacturers, employing one hundred and fifty people, was founded in 1867. When the town was a shipbuilding centre the then owners of the industry furnished many of the ships built here, one of which was the "James William," the first schooner propelled by steam to be built in New Glasgow.
James Eastwood, manufacturing wholesale and retail jeweler, established in New Glasgow since 1871, employs in his operations about twenty people. He also imports jewelry and fancy articles from England, France and Japan. which, with his own manufacture, he sells at wholesale throughout the Dominion, at the same time conducting one of the most up-to-date retail jewelry stores in town.
Barring a wet-wash laundry, the New Glasgow Steam Laundry Ltd., giving employment to about fifteen people, is the only steam laundry in Pictou county. It has branches in Pictou, Stellarton, Trenton, Antigonish, Hopewell, Eureka, Springhill, Guysboro, Mulgrave and Canso, and does a large trade.
Another important New Glasgow industry is the Munroe Wire Works Limited, comprising some 23,000 square feet of floor space, manufacturing wire fencing, spring beds, mattresses, grills, and other wire goods, in the production of which some twenty-five people are engaged.
The Trenton Repair Company, including a garage and machine shop and employing nine men occupies a modernly equipped fire proof concrete building to which further addition is to be added the coming summer.
The Steel Furnishing Co. Ltd., employs about twenty people, and the box manufacturing firm of Robertson and Dewar about twenty-five persons. Johnson & McDonald are manufacturers of corn and feed and grain dealers. The Maritime Jewelry Co. do gold and silver plating. George and Stephen Brooks each conduct a brick yard, and Dickson's wet wash laundry fills a rent want, while the New Glasgow Machine Co., Bigelow & Hood, confectionary makers, F.A. Carr, cigar manufacturers of Stellarton, and Crockett Bros. makers of creamery supplies, and Doyle & McCool, saw millers, both of Westville, with other smaller industries are helping the district's industrial growth.